Meri Mion, who turned 90, wiped her tears as they handed her the cake during a ceremony in Vicenza, northwest of Venice. The event marked the anniversary of the day the 88th Infantry Division fought in the city on April 28, 1945. Image: Mrs. Mion looked really surprised that the American soldiers had replaced the cake 77 years later That night, Mrs. Mion hid in the attic of her family farm with her mother. The retreating German soldiers had fired on the house, but when she woke up on the morning of her 13th birthday, the American soldiers were close by. At Mrs. Mion’s birthday party, her mother baked a cake and left it on a windowsill to cool. But he disappeared, apparently taken by hungry American soldiers who had already been greeted by grateful Italians with bread and wine as they entered Vincenza. “Her happiness turned to disappointment later, when the resourceful American soldiers left with her cake,” said Col. Matthew Gomlak, commander of the US military in Italy. Mrs. Mion was really surprised that the American soldiers had replaced the cake 77 years later. He said “mamma mia” and “grazie” as a small crowd of American commanders and Italian officials sang Happy Birthday. Picture: The cake given to Ms. Moin Picture: A soldier gave the cake to Ms. Mion “Tomorrow, we will eat this dessert, with my whole family remembering this wonderful day that I will never forget,” Ms. Mion was quoted as saying by the U.S. military. Captain Peter Wallis, who handed over the dessert, said it was “a little awkward” to replace the stolen ones, “but it makes me feel great.”
